Seeking Advice

[IDLassie]

Having been in Wild Land fire for 40 seasons. When realization hit it was too late to jump out. Retired with just enough to pay for health insurance and little left over. GET OUT of the fire service and go get a real job and have a life! IF a seasonal employee you'll never get ahead at your age.

 

[wapitibob]

Brother that’s EVERY FD in the State of Georgia.

Sadly, we’re one of the “better” paid Metro ATL Departments

We have a pretty good dept here, a friend works there.
"The department works on a four-platoon system, 48 hours on shift and 144 off with one debit day per FLSA cycle."

 

[BRTreedogs]

Not that you’ve never worked outside, being a landscaper.

But when I think of FD & Lineman, there 2 different crowds of people imo.

Very different jobs as well.

Can you go job shadow with a lineman for a couple days?

I’m sure it’s much different now, but when I looked into it. Being a lineman apprentice was no joke and you better have thick skin.

That being said, I’d wish I’d done it I just didn’t have the required math.

 

[Long Cut]

We have a pretty good dept here, a friend works there.
"The department works on a four-platoon system, 48 hours on shift and 144 off with one debit day per FLSA cycle."

Wow…. Your Step 1 Firemen make more than our Fire Sargent/Paramedics

 

[Long Cut]

You should check if anything happens at the five year mark.

Yes our Pension vests at Year 5, which my 5th year at my current Department will be August of 2027.

But honestly for the marginal amount I’d receive, waiting another year it’s not worth it in my opinion

 

[Silver Wings]

I’d get out a legal pad and run 2 columns. First I do short term financial, then long term. Then factor the hours worked to get to retirement. Next page I’d do quality of life pros and cons.
I retired from the fire service after 35 years. I really enjoyed the job, so that would factor into the decision for me. They are paying you guys peanuts and that will probably never change during your career. At least not in a really meaningful way. I loved the job, but not enough to spend 56 hours a week away from home for that kind of money.
Good luck

 

[Long Cut]

I’d get out a legal pad and run 2 columns. First I do short term financial, then long term. Then factor the hours worked to get to retirement. Next page I’d do quality of life pros and cons.
I retired from the fire service after 35 years. I really enjoyed the job, so that would factor into the decision for me. They are paying you guys peanuts and that will probably never change during your career. At least not in a really meaningful way. I loved the job, but not enough to spend 56 hours a week away from home for that kind of money.
Good luck

Yessir, congratulation's on your retirement.

Myself and a group of coworkers/ Chiefs/Officers have gotten together to pitch different ways that our Department can swing a 24/72 schedule… Unfortunately we’re stuck in a “we’ve always done it this way” mentality with the Politicians…

Even IF we somehow went to a 42 hour work week from our current 56… My salary would stay the same or potentially go down from what I’m being told! “Because you’ll work less hours and lose the built in OT” is the excuse.

It’s one of the hardest decisions I’ve made, but ultimately based on all of the #’s, scenarios and advice I’ve gotten from others (friends, family & y’all tonight) .. the linemen path “wins” every time.

 

[7mm-08]

Yes our Pension vests at Year 5, which my 5th year at my current Department will be August of 2027.

But honestly for the marginal amount I’d receive, waiting another year it’s not worth it in my opinion

Dude, don't let a government entity get you in "the golden handcuffs." I contemplating leaving federal service at one point in my 32 years of federal law enforcement (before I retired more than a dozen years ago), but I had gone too long and was kind of stuck my last X number of years. You can recover (and prosper) when you're young - not so much after you have spent too much time on a government job.

 

[Montucky]

I would apply for the Apprenticeship…Don’t forget there’s plenty of other applicants that paid $20k for LineSchool & if you got a chance I would go for it……OT calls are also 3week storms on DoubleTime….would be hard to lay sod or install trees & sprinklers making $150/hr + benefits——-lots of options

 

[JDMBEND]

Wow…. Your Step 1 Firemen make more than our Fire Sargent/Paramedics

Keep in mind the cost of living in Bend, Or. is very high. The median home price is $720,000.00.

 

[tony]

Yessir, congratulation's on your retirement.

Myself and a group of coworkers/ Chiefs/Officers have gotten together to pitch different ways that our Department can swing a 24/72 schedule… Unfortunately we’re stuck in a “we’ve always done it this way” mentality with the Politicians…

Even IF we somehow went to a 42 hour work week from our current 56… My salary would stay the same or potentially go down from what I’m being told! “Because you’ll work less hours and lose the built in OT” is the excuse.

It’s one of the hardest decisions I’ve made, but ultimately based on all of the #’s, scenarios and advice I’ve gotten from others (friends, family & y’all tonight) .. the linemen path “wins” every time.

Two things firemen hate
Change
And the way things are now

 

[brancher147]

I would take the benefits and security of the linemans job and lose the headache of managing your own business and being on call for fires constantly. Take a pay cut and better hours for your future family.

 

[stick slinger]

You're getting a lot of solid advice here. Choosing a "Dad job" is a real life decision. Mostly I've seen financial advice here, and that's very important, money does make the world go round. I'm not in fire or lineman work, but I know plenty of both. My bro has been in wildland, mostly AK, for 12 years and he's grown to hate the politics. Several buddies are lineman. Personally I made a totally different decision leaving behind my experiences in carpentry, construction, taxidermy, plumbing, farming and ranching, business ownership, and food and beverage (7yr stint as a bartender manager at a fine dining restaurant). I went to back to medical school, because I felt that after the huge investment, I'd be left with the best "Dad job", that would also feed my habits of hunting and fishing 50-100 days a year. Turns out it was an excellent decision. I've been out of residency 4 years (after 7 years of training), and now I've got the ultimate dad job. Last year I took off 197 days.

Anyways, not getting tied to the govt job is sound advice too. But you can't argue with a pension plan...

As a faithful guy, I'd personally stop and pray about this. Happy to offer more on that if you like.

My linemen buddies are happy, flexible, and great dads and husbands.

Hearing your work ethic and vision, Personally if I did anything besides lineman, I'd consider an electrician apprenticeship and run my own business. In 5 years you could have that looking like about anything. I have no idea what the economy in Georgia looks like, but many areas it's in high demand. Plus you could pursue something further like electrical engineer, I've got a buddy who just finished that, and he's got an amazing gig.

Just some food for thought.

 

[go_deep]

I would say the landscaping business appears to have a lot more promise than you might realize.
As a utility worker, I might work 40 one week, and I might not be home for 3 days and work 70 hours the next week, but with no warning that I ain't coming home, so your trading 2 jobs that take you away from home, for a job that will take you away from home, just know that going into it.
I average 400 hours of OT at my job a year, and nearly all of it is unscheduled work, just dealing with outages after hours and weekends. Technically I take about 2 months off a year, so all my OT comes in 10 months, so I work 40 hours of OT every month that I work.

Utility work don't wait till Monday, but a landscape company in most every case can.

 

[menhaden_man]

Seems like your mind is already taking the next step. I’ve worked at two utilities and despite some headaches the pay, benefits, and job security are hard to beat.

I have friends that are in your shoes except around my age - late 40s to late 50s. Easier to make the jump now. Good luck whichever way you go, but cost of living is no joke for anyone that didn’t get a house in the 2000s or earlier.

 

[BLJ]

I would say the landscaping business appears to have a lot more promise than you might realize.
As a utility worker, I might work 40 one week, and I might not be home for 3 days and work 70 hours the next week, but with no warning that I ain't coming home, so your trading 2 jobs that take you away from home, for a job that will take you away from home, just know that going into it.
I average 400 hours of OT at my job a year, and nearly all of it is unscheduled work, just dealing with outages after hours and weekends. Technically I take about 2 months off a year, so all my OT comes in 10 months, so I work 40 hours of OT every month that I work.

Utility work don't wait till Monday, but a landscape company in most every case can.

This goes along with the post I quoted earlier.

In 2012 my dad worked (IIRC) 24 16 hour days in a row.
On his hooks the whole time.

We don’t really live where you can get a bucket truck to everything.
Dad was 53 at the time.

He made good money his entire life but it definitely took a toll on his health.

Another perspective.

My best man when I was married is an RN.
He works 4/10’s off on Mondays. His current position he has now has him at about $98k.

No OT, no weekends, no storms , no out of town, no 100* in gloves and sleeves and no climbing ice covered poles.

I think if you asked my dad now at 67 if he would rather have $150k from 600-700 hours of OT every year or $98k working 4 days a week his opinion would be different than when he was 22.

The nurse scenario is just an example.
But I would recommend considering some various options.